


Carry You Off To Sleep

by Leonawriter



Series: FF7 minifics [4]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Gen, Inspired By A Softer World, Post Advent Children, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 08:32:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13737093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leonawriter/pseuds/Leonawriter
Summary: Cloud is haunted not just by the echoes of a fight that seems like it might go on forever, but a face that unsettled him with how much its owner had looked like a kid as he died.





	Carry You Off To Sleep

It was a few days after he'd fought Sephiroth again, after Aerith's rain creating a cure for Geostigma. 

Sometimes, Cloud would see a flash of silver and he would tense up, fingers twitching for a moment before he realised that  _no, that's a knife_ , or  _that's just the light reflecting off of a picture frame._

Sometimes he wondered how, even though he had seen Aerith again, talked to her, had  _Zack_ right there encouraging him in the midst of his fight, telling him to keep going, that Cloud could do this... he wondered how anyone could think it was that easy to just pick up the pieces of his life (he still wasn't sure what was his, what wasn't Zack and wasn't what he just assumed based on what everyone had told him, and what he went along with because it made everyone happy). 

Sometimes, he thought to himself, fighting seemed to be all he was good for, even if he wished with all his heart that he could just _stop._ Stop having to fight. Be at peace. Let himself be.

He's staying back in Seventh Heaven for the night because although he's been seriously considering finding a place of his own, Tifa's still got the room ready and waiting whenever he'll take it, and even though the church is peaceful and quiet, it's not so peaceful when it's raining.

It's not the first time he's carried Denzel up the stairs after the kid's stayed up too late, and it's been stressful enough for everyone, lately. 

But it's the first time he's done it since he'd fought with Sephiroth, the first time since he carried Kadaj away while the Remnant was dying because Sephiroth's death meant that the Remnant died too, and the way that Denzel looked - limp in his arms, relaxed and calm, the pressure and tension gone at least for the moment like it was a heavy weight he had to bear - was too close.

It's the first time he makes the connection that if things hadn't been as screwed up as they were...

Cloud shook his head, scowling at the uncomfortable thoughts. 

Put Denzel down onto his bed, took off his shoes, and pulled a blanket over him.

Tried not to think of how if those thoughts meant anything about the Remnant, then they meant something about _him,_ too.

Tried not to think of the few times he'd seen a look of  _fear_ on Sephiroth's face, even if he could count them all on one hand. It made the monster seem more  _human._

_(The sound of the rain and the traffic and Tifa humming in her room a few doors down helped but didn't quite distract him from thoughts of how messed up everything was, how Sephiroth must've somehow been a kid too once, and hadn't Shinra just made monsters of them all-_

_But Sephiroth had gone this far and whether it was on his own or helped by Jenova it didn't matter._

_Cloud just had to make sure no other kids ended up like that. No matter what.)_

**Author's Note:**

> Monsters are even more scary   
> when you've seen them afraid.
> 
> You cannot be allowed to live, knowing they are weak.  
> -a softer world.


End file.
